Invincible (2006)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ericson Core

Writer (WGA):

Brad Gann (written by)

Release Date:

25 August 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Dreams are not lived on the sidelines

Plot:

Based on the story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who overcame long odds to play for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 1976.

Plot Keywords:

Philadelphia Eagles | Nfl | Bartender | American Football | Sports Team

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Mark Wahlberg	...	Vince Papale
Greg Kinnear	...	Dick Vermeil
Elizabeth Banks	...	Janet Cantrell
Kevin Conway	...	Frank Papale
Michael Rispoli	...	Max Cantrell
Kirk Acevedo	...	Tommy
Dov Davidoff	...	Johnny
Michael Kelly	...	Pete
Sal Darigo	...	Mick
Nicoye Banks	...	TJ Banks
Turron Kofi Alleyne	...	Ronnie Sampson
Cosmo DeMatteo	...	Dean German
Stink Fisher	...	Denny Franks
Michael Mulheren	...	AC Craney
Michael Nouri	...	Leonard Tose

Also Known As:

Who's Nuts Invincible (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sports action and some mild language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:G | USA:PG (certificate #42738) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Germany:6 | South Korea:All | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Franklin Field - 235 S. 33rd Street, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

Vince Papale is actually a native of Delaware County, PA. His home, the High School he taught at, and the bar in which he worked, are all located in the towns of Glenolden and Prospect Park, respectively. Disney executives decided on making Papale from South Philadelphia as this more neatly fit the script, and was more easily identifiable to a national audience. He taught at Interboro High School, located on Amosland Avenue, Prospect Park PA. The bar in which he worked is now called "Pogue Mahones," located on Chester Pike in Prospect Park, PA.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Mark Wahlberg is much shorter than the real Vince Papale. Vince Papale is 6 foot 2, while Wahlberg is 5 foot 9.

Quotes:

AC Craney: People don't want heart Dick, they want wins.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shooter (2007/I)

Soundtrack:

Stranglehold

Standard Underdog Pic

Somewhat loosely based on a true story, INVINCIBLE is your standard root-for-the-underdog sports movie, nothing more, nothing less. Mark Wahlberg is Vince Papale, a beefy touch football player/bartender who struts his stuff at an open tryout for the Philadelphia Eagles. Overcoming tremendous odds, Papale cracks the roster after earning the faith of rookie coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear).

INVINCIBLE probably would have been better as a less family-friendly film. Everything happens so cleanly in this Disney pic that it loses some of its realism and credibility. The audience may also feel cheated given the extreme liberties the writers took with the Papale story, including a complete disregard for his pro pigskin experience, fabricating an open-to-the-public tryout and the invention of a "you won't amount to anything" note from Papale's former partner. No bio pic is 100 per cent truthful, but this is going a bit too far.

While there is a certain charm and inspirational underpinning to INVINCIBLE, it can't hold a handle to many of the other entries of the same genre. It's one of those movies that can be summed up with four words: good but never great. The performances are good but never great. The direction is good but never great. The list goes on. Junior high-aged kids will probably appreciate this one the most.